Curios: Some Strange Adventures of Two Bachelors

Name: Curios: Some Strange Adventures of Two Bachelors
Price: 16.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781934555255

✍️ Richard Marsh

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$16.95

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Seven tales of rival collectors battling haunted antiques by Richard Marsh

Marsh returns with a volume that blends grotesque comedy with supernatural dread. The structure relies on dual narration, allowing the contrasting personalities of Pugh and Tress to clash over their shared hobby. This format highlights the absurdity of their obsession while delivering genuine shocks. The inclusion of specific artifacts like the speaking phonograph record demonstrates Marsh's ability to mix Victorian technology with occult themes. The restoration of this text allows modern readers to experience the original spirit and vigour that contemporary critics praised upon its initial release in London.

Key Themes

haunted antiques rival collectors supernatural objects

Literary Context

Published by John Long in London in 1898, this work arrived one year after Marsh achieved fame with The Beetle. The original edition was produced on poor quality materials, resulting in very few surviving copies today. This Valancourt Books reprint addresses that scarcity by making the text available again.

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

M.R. James · Arthur Machen · Algernon Blackwood · Shirley Jackson

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Valancourt Books 📅 2007 📖 156 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781934555255

📝 Description: Curios: Some Strange Adventures of Two Bachelors

Richard Marsh, known for The Beetle, presents Curios as a collection of seven short stories told by rival collectors Mr. Pugh and Mr. Tress. These two bachelors alternate narrations while pursuing their obsession with strange objects. Their dynamic shifts between friendship and enmity, driving the plot through their conflicting approaches to acquiring curiosities. The narrative explores dark humor alongside horror as the men encounter supernatural items. Readers meet a poisoned pipe that awakens when smoked, a thirteenth century severed hand seeking vengeance, and a phonograph record containing the voice of a murdered woman. Pugh tends toward superstition, fearing the haunted nature of antiques. Tress remains cynical, willing to commit theft or murder for his collection. The tone ranges from grotesque comedy to genuine fright. This 2007 Valancourt Books edition restores the unabridged text of the 1898 John Long first edition. It brings back a rare work that survived in only a handful of copies due to poor original materials. The book suits readers who enjoy weird fiction with a satirical edge. Those seeking straightforward horror without comedic elements may find the tone inconsistent.

💎 Our verdict on Curios: Some Strange Adventures of Two Bachelors

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Marsh delivers a masterful blend of grotesque comedy and supernatural tension through the clashing perspectives of rival collectors Pugh and Tress. The alternating narration effectively highlights the absurdity of their obsession while maintaining genuine suspense. Key artifacts, such as a speaking phonograph record containing a murdered woman's voice, showcase Marsh's skill in merging Victorian technology with occult themes. This edition successfully restores an unabridged text that was previously rare due to poor original printing. It suits readers who enjoy weird fiction with satirical elements and dual-perspective storytelling. Those seeking pure horror without comedic interludes might find the tonal shifts jarring, but fans of classic strange tales will appreciate its unique voice and historical significance.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the intersection of dark humor and supernatural dread will find this collection uniquely rewarding. The dual narrative structure offers a compelling study of obsession, contrasting superstition with cynical materialism through the rivalry of two bachelor collectors. Those interested in how Victorian anxieties about antiques and technology manifest as horror will discover fresh insights here. The book provides genuine shocks wrapped in grotesque comedy, appealing to fans of weird fiction who enjoy satirical edges rather than straightforward scares. It allows modern audiences to access a rare text that captures the vigour and spirit praised by contemporary critics upon its initial release.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Marsh delivers a masterful blend of grotesque comedy and supernatural tension through the clashing perspectives of rival collectors Pugh and Tress. The alternating narration effectively highlights the absurdity of their obsession while maintaining genuine suspense. Key artifacts, such as a speaking phonograph record containing a murdered woman's voice, showcase Marsh's skill in merging Victorian technology with occult themes. This edition successfully restores an unabridged text that was previously rare due to poor original printing. It suits readers who enjoy weird fiction with satirical elements and dual-perspective storytelling. Those seeking pure horror without comedic interludes might find the tonal shifts jarring, but fans of classic strange tales will appreciate its unique voice and historical significance.